Share your questions about ferry travel with expert Mums - £200 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

Are you going on holiday by ferry this summer? Perhaps you’ve never taken your family away by ferry but you’re keen to find out more?

Mums Rachel, Kirsty and Sybil have all just returned from different Brittany Ferries trips with their families and they’re here to help! Whether it’s choosing the destination, what to pack, how to keep kids entertained or what the onboard facilities are like, share your questions on all aspects of the experience for our expert Mums to answer.

• Everyone who shares a question on the thread below by 29 June will be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice
• Our experts will be back online in a few weeks to answer some of your questions

Here’s what Brittany Ferries has to say:
“Brittany Ferries is an award winning Ferry Travel and holiday company who are experts in Western Europe, and winners of the Best Travel Company for Family Holidays at the 2022 British Travel Awards, voted by consumers. We offer a choice of routes from UK and Ireland to France and Spain that save you miles of driving, avoids airport queues and delays, and offers award winning on board service with space and comfort, ensuring you are on holiday from the moment you drive aboard. ”

About our experts
Family 1 - Rachel
Rachel travelled with her husband and two children (aged 3 and 1) on the Portsmouth to Caen route.

Family 2 – Kirsty
Kirsty travelled with her Mum and two children (aged 3 and 6 months) on the Rosslare to Bilbao route

Family 3 - Sybil
Sybil travelled with her cousin and two children (aged 4 and 1) on the Portsmouth to Santander route.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ
Insight T&Cs apply

Hi @Beabeautiful Brittany Ferries provided us a travel cot which was a Joie branded cot. It was clean, the mattress was lovely and soft and my little one slept comfortably in it throughout. They provided all the bedding and a duvet too. Everything was set up ready to sleep in. As the duvet was thick for my son (he sweats easily) I used his cellular blanket to cover him.

Sybil

Hi @DinkyDaffodil On the Santona, we ate the Azul restaurant which was absolutely divine! The food was of good quality, portions and there was a good variety to choose from. The staff were very helpful with recommending wines and were knowledgeable of the dishes. We had a 3-course meal that was so good, i went back again on the return crossing to have it again. Fresh, authentic French cuisine with impressive presentation and taste. The only thing i'd have liked is for the kids menu to come with vegetables for the main. We also ate at the Club Lounge (usually an additional cost) which I thought was so useful with kids as food is served throughout the day. There are set times for breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea and dinner as well as complimentary soft drinks, hot drinks and wine hours. English breakfast, cereals, fruits, yogurts and pastries are available in the morning. Snack times there were pastries, sandwiches, hot dishes etc available and dinner there were meat and veggie options available along with wines, soft drinks, hot drinks, cakes.

Sybil

Hi @Beabeautiful It was very quick both ways which i was really impressed with. I would say no more than 10 minutes for us, so quick!

Sybil

Hi @HobNobAddict The overnight worked really well for us. Whenever we travel with the kids, we always try to do overnight as it makes things a lot easier as they sleep most of it. The first night, the kids slept through, woke late morning then we started the day with food, activities, exploring, nap time etc. on return, it was afternoon into the following evening which i found a lot more stressful as the kids were awake for longer. I preferred the overnight crossing.

Sybil

Hi @thimbbwebelr153 There are rooms and seating spaces on different floors so you can avoid the music if you wanted to. I did also see a designated seating room where you can pay for seats. It was across the other side from the bar so i would think it would be oaky. If doing an overnight crossing, id recommend getting a cabin for comfort and total quietness.

Sybil

Hi @Leanneee As a first-time ferry boarder, I was very impressed with the whole experience! I did calculations and it works out cost-effective to travel by ferry as you can bring as much baggage as your car can hold and you also skip the need for car rentals which can cost a fortune. I felt very at home with all the belongings and extras I was able to bring along for my children. Also, the fact that check-in and out is drive-thru means you avoid long airport queues. It was a pleasant and convenient journey.

Sybil

Hi @DinkyDaffodil We slept very well overnight. the beds were very comfortable and surprisingly, there was barely any noise other than a very faint humming sound which we all found soothing. My toddlers slept as normal.

Sybil

Hi @HobNobAddict The food was good! I believe the price for the club lounge fluctuates throughout the year but i thought it was good value for money. Its unlimited food and drink throughout the crossing which is hassle-free thinking about what everyone will eat. The restaurants are decent prices considering the quality and standard of the food! The portions were great in the restaurant too.

Sybil

Hi @DanBenandBud On the Santona, there are 2 indoor play rooms with interactive board games, activity tables, a few sit-on rides and some soft/foam seat pads. They were very clean and both my kids played in there and enjoy it (1 &4 yrs old). On the top deck, there is lots of space and a gated play area with a few sea-saws and an activity table. Again, all areas were clean and tidy every time we played.

Sybil

I went to Dieppe last month, fine on way out, much vomiting on the way back, no alcohol, not that rough, and had taken anti sickness tablets (semetil)

I live about 45 minutes from Plymouth and Until about 5-10 years ago, I didn’t know anyone who wouldn’t go to France or northern Spain, any other way than with Brittany ferries, either to roscoff or santander.
We would travel in school holidays and you’d easily see half a dozen people you know on the ferry each way.
i also spent a summer with ukbi (immigration) and would see several people I knew a week.
now most people we know, and most school families fly drive or drive (from Cornwall) to the channel tunnel.

Thanks to all who shared their questions for our experts. The winner of the prize draw is @pushchairprincess - congratulations!

Nasty neighbour what should we do ?

We have a communal garden, neighbour’s adult son 20 years old plays rugby ball all the time. Makes deep thundering noises, and would not stop. really a pain when you are trying to chill or working from home.

Same neighbor refused to pay for the damage after her son reversed into our car. After we confront them, they finally paid up. Couple weeks later we found two long screws in our car tyres, almost resulted us in a car accident.

Her husband trespass to our private garden without telling us. Screams and shout at my partner at my own front door.

They don’t admit at wrong and insist they are Cambridge graduated and apparently too well educated to do it.

I think this is the wrong thread

Hi @HobNobAddict Yes there are microwaves in the bar/restuarant areas. I actually used them to sterilise my baby's bottles. The staff also filled up my flasks with boiling water so that I could make the baby's feeds safely too.

Kirsty

Hi @sparkleice Me, my children and my mum all were not affected by sea sickness at all. The way back was actually pretty choppy too. There are sea sickness bags provided all over the ships if necessary. The outbound sailing was incredibly smooth after the first hour or so coming out of Ireland. Infact you could barely feel the ship at all

Kirsty

Hi @BristolMum96 Although I am not a wheelchair user myself, I did take the buggy for my baby. There are many lifts on the ship, and the corridors are generally quite wide. The cabins themselves had enough space for the buggy to be stored folded up. I would contact Brittany Ferries directly to ask if they have accessibility cabins.

Kirsty

Hi @Orchidflower1 All of the sleeper cabins are ensuite. To travel on the overnight ferries you either need to book a sleeper cabin or a sleeper seat. In our sleeper cabin there were 2 sets of bunk beds and room in the middle for a travel cot for my baby. The rooms are well thought out, but tight. We took our big pushchair on the outbound trip, and there was just enough space for this to be folded in the room too. I would however recommend a travel buggy instead if you need one.

Kirsty

Hi @Orchidflower1 All of the sleeper cabins are ensuite. To travel on the overnight ferries you either need to book a sleeper cabin or a sleeper seat. In our sleeper cabin there were 2 sets of bunk beds and room in the middle for a travel cot for my baby. The rooms are well thought out, but tight. We took our big pushchair on the outbound trip, and there was just enough space for this to be folded in the room too. I would however recommend a travel buggy instead if you need one.

Kirsty

Hi @Orchidflower1 Once you have arrived on the ship there is a safety briefing on the TV in the cabin, and this also plays on the tannoy. There are also visible lifeboats along the ship. Everything is also very well sign posted - exit routes etc. The staff on the information desk are also very helpful so I'm sure they would answer any additional questions you needed about safety procedures.

Kirsty

Hi @Cotswoldmama This was my initial reaction too! I was a little worried about the length of the journey and how the kids would cope. My only previous experience of ferries were short. crowded crossings. Our outbound trip was 30 hours long but honestly, it felt like it went so quickly. We had a 4-berth sleeper cabin with its own ensuite. There is also a TV in the room too if you want to use that. There's so much to do on board for kids and adults. There are 3 play areas on-board the Salamanca, and the staff also put on activities for the children too. On our return journey we even experienced the on-board cinema on the Pont-Aven. In terms of quiet areas there are some more chilled out seating areas onboard, away from the bars. Or if you fancy it, the premium lounge also has a more relaxed feel - with epic views.
Kirsty

Hi @jacqui5366 I cannot really comment on the pricing and whether this changes over time, but my advice would be to book them together and ASAP. When you book an overnight ferry it is a requirement to book a seat/cabin. This means if you booked your car onboard, you would then have to book a sleeper seat - and if you were then planning on getting a cabin regardless, you would then have to pay more in the future. It doesn't make any financial sense to book both a sleeper seat and a cabin. So I would say if you want a sleeper cabin, book one with your initial booking.

Kirsty

Hi @Lambhenry A travel buggy!
Kirsty

Hi @MumC2141 On our outbound journey we did not have tea/coffee making facilities in our cabin but on the route back we did. Different ships and different cabin choices have different facility options. If you opt for the premium lounge access on your journey you will have access to all you can drink tea and coffee and you won't need one in your room. Also the staff were more than happy to fill our hot water flasks for us when we asked at the bars

Kirsty

hi @Beabeautiful We were provided with a travel cot on both crossings. Both were adequate. I had brought our own in our car, but it wasn't needed the whole trip. In the hotel, we were given a proper cot for the baby.

Kirsty